Curtain-stretcher.



Patentad Nov. 27,1900.

W.v A. MAYB.

CURTAIN STRETCHER.

(Apnlcation filed June 29, 1899 gi@ *L1 (No Iodo|.)

w JA@ f turni) @trarne artnr Orricn.

WALTER A. MAYR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CURTAINI stun-renna.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,628, dated November 27, 1900.

Application filed June 291 1899.

To rv/ZZ rofl/0771, 'it v1.0.1,' concern.:

Be it known that I, WALTER A. MAYR,aciti zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efficient curtainstretcher; and the invention'consists in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan view of a curtain-stretcher constructed in accordance with my improvements with certain holding parts removed from one of the bars. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on the line 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3, an enlarged detailof one of the cam-blocks removed from the bar; Fig. 4, a side elevation of a portion of one of the bars; Fig. 5, a plan view of a portion of one of the bars, taken at the joint and looking at it from below; and Fig. 6, a transverse sectional View taken on line 6 of Fig. 4.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that it is customary to stretch lace curtains upon frames which are provided with rigid and movable pins, hooks, catches, andthe like to hold the curtain in engagement with the bar and that the use of such devices is objectionable in that they leave their impress upon the curtain when it is dried.

The principal obj ect of my in vention,therei fore, is to provide a simple, economical, and efficientcurtain-stretcher,with mechanism for holding' the curtain in engagement with the bars thereof in such a manner that it is held over a considerable portion of its edges and in a manner that does not injure the curtain in any way, all of which will more fully hereinafter appear.

In constructing a stretcher in accordance with my improvements I provide two side bars A and A', which are made in sections hinged together at a, the pintle of the hinges eXtending above one of the faces thereof and so that the bars may fold together on their faces. Two end bars B and B' are also provided and slidingly secured to the side bars by means 0f metallic end pieces C, which are bent up- Serial No. 722.246. lNo model.)

wardly and inwardly to form ways in which the bars may slide. Set-screws c are pro vided and arranged in the end pieces, so as to engage the bars and hold them in the desired position.

It is desirable to provide means by which the hinged side bars are prevented from folding during the use of the stretcher, and in order to accomplish this result shoes D are provided and brought into engagement with the lower faces of the bars and across the joint thereof. These shoes are preferably slotted at d and CZ, and through these slots are passed the threaded portions of the headed bolts E, which in turn are provided with wings e, sunk in the wood, and act to prevent the bolts from turning. Thumb-nuts E are provided and engage the threaded portion of the bolts which protrude through the thumbnuts in such a manner as to permit the screw portion being headed, as at c. This arrangement of bolts and nuts prevents the bolt from turning in the bars and at the same time per` mits the thumb-nut being moved upon the uut, while preventing it from being detached therefrom. This is a distinct advantage in that the nuts and bolts are not liable to become misplaced or lost.

In order to hold a curtain in proper engagement with the stretcher-frame, I provide a series of clamps, which are engaged with each bar and extend entirely along the same contiguous to each other and in a continuous manner. These clamps are formed by the bars themselves and blocks G, which are arranged vertically and movably upon the bars, so as to be brought int-o contact with the bar or raised therefrom and grasp or release the curtain at the front edge thereof. To raise and lower the movable part of the clamp and at the same time support it, studs I-I are provided and inserted in the bars. These studs are passed through perforations in the movable portion of the clamps and upon which the movable clamps are raised and prevented from rotating, preferably by making the studs square or rectangular and the perforations in the movable clamps of similar conguration. Operating-levers I are provided rotatably engaged with the upper part of the holding-studs by means of pocket-s formed in the parts c', (shown particularly in Fig. 2,) which pocket- IOO piece is riveted securely to the upper end of the holding-stud. The movable clamp is provided With a cam-block K, having ank inclined groove la therein, with which the operatinglever engages. As the handle of the operating-lever is rotated in one direction it slides upwardly in the inclined groove of the cambloek and forces the movable clamp downwardly against the bar, so as to grasp the eur tain between the clamp and bar. The movable clamp is held fixedly in any of its lower positions by causing the operating-lever to engage With any one of the notches 76', k?, and k3 and is held in its upper position, asshown in Fig. 2, by causing it to engage with the notch 164. The construction of all of these clamps, with their operating-levers and camblocks, is substan tially the same, so that a description of one is a description of all of them, and as these movable Clamps are arranged practically contiguous and continuous on the side and end bars they furnish means for holding the curtain at every point and in such a manner as to prevent injury to the delicate edges of lace curtains.

l. In a curtain-stretcher, the combination of side bars and end bars, blocks movably mounted on the receiving-face of the bars andhaving movements parallel with such face so as to grasp a curtain between them and the bars, means for raising and lowering such blocks comprising a lever pivotally secured to the bar and a cam-block secured to the movable block for the engagement of the leverand cam to raise and lower the blocks bodily in parallel planes, substantially as described.

2. In a curtain-stretcher, the combination of side bars and end bars, blocks movably mounted thereon so as to grasp a curtain between them and the bars, means for raising and lowering such blocks comprising a stud secured to the bar,an operating-lever pivotally secured to the stud and a Cam-block provided with an inclined groove having notches therein and arranged to be engaged by the operating-lever so as to raise and lower the block by the movements of the lever and hold the block in its raised and lowered position, substantially as described.

WALTER A. MAYR.

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, THOMAS B. MCGREGOR. 

